Ahead of the game: It’s a wonderful series

Thursday, April 10, 2014 -- Anonymous (not verified)

Sections:

Movies

Friday, April 11, 2014

Author(s):

James Verniere

Beginning tonight with “Meet John Doe,” Harvard Film Archive presents “The Capra Touch” , a series celebrating one of the inventors of the modern American film. Capra rose to fame as a film director in the 1930s and ’40s; his work was a cinematic fanfare for the common man, buoying the spirits of Americans beaten down by the Depression. He had a great sense of humor and chose lead actors whose chemistry sparkled. His 1934 multiple Academy Award winner “It Happened One Night” (April 20, 7 p.m.), teaming a sexy Claudette Colbert and legendary heartthrob Clark Gable, is in the series. Capra’s films inspired someone to coin the presumably affectionate term “Capra-corn” to describe Capra’s unique blend of sentiment and humor. Also in the series, which concludes June 2, is his 1943 “Why We Fight” World War II documentary “The Battle of Russia” (May 4, 5 p.m.). Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge. Tickets: $7-$12; harvard.edu.